Genetic Counsellor

Location: On site / Lucan, Co. Dublin, Ireland
job type: Contract / Full-time
Sector and subsector: Medical & Healthcare Medical Diagnostics
Salary: Negotiable salary

About the Hermitage Medical Clinic

The Hermitage Medical Clinic is a 112 bed private hospital in Lucan, West Dublin. Our specialised medical teams provide medical, surgical and advanced radiotherapy care to patients and are supported by the very latest medical technology. The Hermitage Medical Clinic is committed to providing excellence in patient care using state of the art facilities. The Clinic offers an outstanding level of expertise and cutting edge technology.

Role Overview

The purpose of this post is to contribute to the provision of a comprehensive, specialist, high quality genetic counselling service for families at risk of inherited diseases.

Responsibilities

• Comprehend the medical facts, including the diagnosis, probable course of the disorder and the available management;
• Appreciate the way heredity contributes to the disorder, and the risk of recurrence in specified relatives;
• Understand the options (including genetic testing) for dealing with the risk;
• Choose the course of action most appropriate for them;
• Make the best possible adjustment to the disorder / risk of the disorder.
• Attend outpatients and meet patients and their families in clinics;
• Confirm diagnostic information from clinical records and give normal, uncertain, and abnormal test results to patients and health care professionals;
• Communicate highly sensitive and potentially distressing information to patients and relatives about their genetic status with implications for biological and social family relationships and use counselling skills to facilitate decision making and promote adjustment in patients and family members;
• Use specialised counselling skills to communicate sensitively in the presence of language, cultural or ethical issues (including patients with learning difficulties or psychiatric disorders);
• Ensure the best possible standard of work by applying scientific and clinical understanding and counselling expertise to unique clinical situations;
• Work in collaboration with the Oncology Team in relation to treatment plans;
• Order genetics tests as clinically appropriate and according to agreed guidelines;
• Maintain a full and accurate record of work undertaken (including pedigrees, family history telephone and home visit reports, correspondence and other notes) in both manual and computerised records and preserve their Liaise, facilitate and maintain communications with laboratory colleagues to communicate clinical information necessary to ensure appropriate genetic testing is carried out and to discuss complex test results that are difficult to interpret;
• Liaise regionally, nationally and internationally with other genetics centres laboratories, and a range of clinical departments;
• Calculate risks for a range of genetic disorders, including carrier risks, recurrence risks for pregnancy, and risk of becoming affected, for patients and their relatives. This can involve making decisions where expert opinion differs or where limited information is available;
• Attend weekly departmental clinical meetings to participate in discussion and feedback on clinical cases;
• Discuss cases with ethical complexity with colleagues at weekly clinical meeting;
• Offer psychological support to patients during cancer genetic risk assessment and genetic testing and assess patients to determine where there is a need for specialist therapeutic counselling or psychiatric assessment, and make appropriate referrals;
• Establish and develop specialist advice and act in a supportive role for the patient's relatives and caregivers affected by hereditary cancer, from the first consultation onwards;
• Work as part of the multidisciplinary team liaising with other specialist teams as required and act as a resource to the multi professional team in the care of patients with hereditary cancer;
• Assess the patient's needs for health education and inform and advise patient's, families and caregivers of details of and access to education and support resources organisations as required;
• Update and develop relevant protocols and standards relating to counselling in Cancer Genetics cancer care in consultation with appropriate members of the multi-professional team;
• Endeavour to achieve for all individuals seen a good understanding of the genetics information and the best possible adjustment to the presence of genetic disease in their family.

Qualifications

• MSc in genetic counselling;
• Or minimum of two years professional clinical experience in genetics;
• Or relevant first degree (e.g. Nursing or midwifery) with evidence of maintenance of current professional registration with minimum of two years professional clinical experience in genetics.

Benefits

• Education Support Programme;
• Family Friendly hours available;
• Opportunities for career progression;
• Access to a Pension Scheme;
• Subsidised Restaurant;
• Free staff car parking;
• Employee Assistance Programme;
• Life Assurance.

Blackrock Health Hermitage Clinic is an Equal Opportunities employer, and we are committed to creating an environment that promotes equality and dignity at work.

Blackrock Health Hermitage Clinic is committed to providing reasonable accommodation when needed. Please advise if you have particular requirements, so that we can look into arranging reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

It is essential that you have valid work permission for the Republic of Ireland to take up employment for this position.